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Thursday, April 12, 2012

L - Let the chips fall, Long in the tooth, Lowering the boom, and Laying an egg.

Today's idioms are brought to you by the letter 'L'.

1. Ian decided to lay his cards on the table and let the chips fall where they may.

Meaning: to do the right thing, as you see it, whatever the consequences may be.

Origin: This idiom was first used in the 1800s and referred to woodcutters who needed to concentrate on doing a good job instead of on where the chips of wood fell from their axes.

2. Grandma Shirley's boyfriend looks a little long in the tooth, even for her.

Meaning: old.

Origin: This 19th century idiom comes from the barnyard. As a horse ages, it's gums move back, making the teeth appear longer. So a horse that is "long in the tooth" is getting old. This expression was passed on to people.

3. When the teacher saw that the kids had put tacks on her chair, she lowered the boom on them.

Meaning: to scold or punish strictly; to make someone follow the rules.

Origin: A boom is a long pole used on ships that stretches upward to life cargo high in the air. Booms are also used backstage in theaters to move scenery. if someone actually lowered a boom on your head, you might be knocked out.

4. Who gave Chelsea the idea that she was a good singer? She really laid an egg during the talent show.

Meaning: to give an embarrassing performance.

Origin: This idiom comes from Britain,, where cricket has been a popular game for centuries. If a team failed to score a single point, it was said they laid a duck's egg, which has the same shape as a 0 on a score board. If the US, towards the end of the 1800s, the saying "laid an egg" was applied to performers in vaudeville shows who bombed in front of their audience. In baseball slang, the expression for zero is "goose egg" and to get no score is to "lay a goose egg." Today, lay an egg is used if you do anything that fails totally because nobody likes it.

I like 'long in the tooth', it has great imagery. Kids really take these literally. This morning a friend of mine told her daughter, "You were so happy you were clicking your heels," and she said, "No I wasn't." Made me think of your blog.